The Scarlet Letter

Original Text

Modern Text

While Hester stood in that magic circle of ignominy, where the cunning cruelty
of her sentence seemed to have fixed her for ever, the admirable preacher was
looking down from the sacred pulpit upon an audience, whose very inmost spirits
had yielded to his control. The sainted minister in the church! The woman of the
scarlet letter in the market-place! What imagination would have been irreverent
enough to surmise that the same scorching stigma was on them both?

While Hester stood in that magic circle of shame, where the clever cruelty of
her sentence seemed destined to last forever, the admired minister was looking
down from the sacred pulpit at the audience, whose innermost spirit had
submitted to his control. The sainted minister in church! The woman of the
scarlet letter in the marketplace! Who would have imagined that the same burning
mark was on them both?